Page 110 of Endgame

Rourke

FOR THE REST OF the day, I couldn’t wipe the smug expression from my face. Sheagreed.Six agreed to take a chance on me. Yeah, she wasn’t overly enthusiastic like I hoped she would have been, but I’d take friendship.

I could work with friendship.

I had a feeling she wasn’t used to this – to guys. Obviously, Six wasn’t a virgin. A girl that looked like her had to have been snatched up long ago, but something about her screamed innocent and I was not going to screw that up. She deserved better. I intended to give that to her.

“You’re looking mighty pleased with yourself,” Daryl noted when we met at our lockers after last period. He looked me over and I watched as a slow grin spread across his face. “You get laid?” he asked, arching a brow. “Is that what you and Sissy were doing when you skipped out of Bio?”

“Daryl,” I warned with a slow shake of my head. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

He frowned. “Like what?”

I paused, wondering what he’d said that had offended me and came up empty. I had no idea why, but this huge surge of possessiveness was shooting through me. I didn’t want anyone talking about Six. I didn’t want them thinking about her. Not even Daryl.

“You have it bad,” Daryl said with a grin. “Oh, man.

“Don’t ask about her,” I finally said. “She’s… not a topic I’m up for discussing, okay?”

“Alright, man,” he replied good-naturedly.

“You still going to Molly’s party after the game tonight?” I asked then, veering the subject away from Six.

“Molly?” Daryl looked puzzled as he rammed his books into his locker. “Who the fuck is Molly?”

“Dude.” I bit back the urge to roll my eyes. Daryl was my best friend, I loved the guy like he was my brother, but he was fucking terrible when it came to girls. “Six’s friend. The petite blonde.”The one with the burns, I mentally added.

Awareness dawned in Daryl’s eyes and he threw his head back and laughed. “Molly? Shit, man, I’ve been calling her Katie.”

“You’re an asshole,” I replied dryly. Girl was completely hung up on him. A blind man could see it.

Daryl shrugged, not bothering to defend himself from what was only the truth.

“Her name is Molly Peterson. She went to school with us until the third grade.”

“Yeah, I’ll head over after the game.” He waggled his brows and grinned wolfishly before slamming his locker door shut. “Should be interesting.”

“Listen, man. I’m not trying to tell you your business or anything, but… be gentle with that girl.” I cleared my throat and looked around the hallway to make sure no one was listening in on our conversation before adding, “She’s been through hell and she doesn’t need you leading her on.”

Daryl frowned and I felt like slapping the douche over the head. “What do you mean?”

“You have the worst fucking memory, Daryl,” I shot back, voice low. “She’s the one whose mom and brother burned in that house fire when we were younger.”

Daryl gaped. “She’sthatMolly Peterson?”

I nodded. “Yes, asshole.”

“Didn’t her family move away like eight years ago or something?” he asked, clearly confused.

“They came back,” I hissed, irritated. How did he not know this? “Dude, she came back Sophomore year.”

“Fuck,” Daryl said with an apologetic sigh. “I didn’t know.”

“Well, now you do,” I replied. “So don’t screw around with her.” The girl had been through hell and back.

Surviving the house fire that had claimed her mother and little brother’s lives couldn’t have been easy on Molly.

I remembered when it happened. It had been fucking horrible. All of the kids in Molly’s class had attended her mother and brother’s joint funeral.

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